SPORTS FLASHBACK 1989: Gryba stymies Angels in Winnipeg league final

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This article was published 24/08/2024 (365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shakey’s Raiders won the 1989 Winnipeg Men’s Fastball League championship, defeating the Ste Anne Angels 5-1 to win the best-of-five final in three straight games.

Behind the strong arm of Darcy Gryba, the Raiders won the first two games of the series by scores of 6-1 and 2-0.

Darcy Gryba was again the story in game three, as he allowed only one run on four hits, striking out four, and walking five batters.

Gryba gave up only two runs in the three games, as the Raiders outscored the Angels 13-2 in the series.

Most of the damage came in the sixth inning of the final game, when the Raiders scored three times, including a two-run homer by Guy Phaneuf. Shakey’s also scored single runs in the first and second innings.

Ste Anne’s only run came when Kevin Tyndall hit a triple, scoring on a Dan Janz single.

The Angels represented Manitoba at the Western Canadian Senior ‘B’ Fastball championships at Yellowknife last month, where they qualified for the playoffs. But when they returned home for the league playoffs they struggled and were unable to solve the pitching of Darcy Gryba.

In the opening game of the series, Gryba struck out eight and gave up only four hits as the Raiders scored twice in the first, added two more in the third and another two in the sixth, in a game that was never in doubt.

In game two at Charlie Krupp Stadium, Gryba pitched a three-hit shut-out, as the Shakey’s Raiders defeated the Ste Anne Angels 2-0, to take a stranglehold 2-0 lead in the best-of-five finals.

This followed on the heels of the Raiders’ 6-1 victory in game one of the series.

Gryba and Ste Anne pitcher Jim Nicholson engaged in a pitching duel, as the game was scoreless through five innings. Both runs were scored in the sixth inning, with the winning score coming on a homerun by Ken Kurtz.

Gryba struck out seven and did not allow a walk. Nicholson was also sharp, allowing only five hits, while striking out two and walking two batters.

For the second year in a row the team from Ste Anne finished second in the Winnipeg Fastball League, losing to Polo Park in the finals last season.